Initial claims for jobless benefits near 5-year low

8:48 PM,
Apr. 25, 2013

Kathie Maiello of Any-Time Home Care talks with Jashod Chaney of Albany, N.Y., on April11 at a career fair in Albany.

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| USA Today

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell 16,000 to 339,000 for the week ended April 20, the Labor Department said Thursday. It's the second-lowest level in five years.

The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out weekly fluctuations, fell 4,500 to 357,500 last week. The latest number is well below economists' consensus estimates of a seasonally adjusted 350,000, and suggest hiring may be improving from March's ...